I apologize for the lack of postings lately. I have had some sudden health problems that sort of sidetracked my blog a bit. I will do my best to get back to my posting schedule, although it may be a bit thin for the next week or so yet.
Last night I read a very touching, warm Christmas book to Joshua, age 5. It is The Small One by Alex Walsh. It is a wonderful story about a boy who lived near Nazareth at the time Jesus was born. He had a donkey he called Small One. The donkey was old and weak and could not carry loads on his back anymore. So, the boy was told he had to bring him to town and sell him. He loved his donkey and worked hard at finding it a good home. First a tanner was ready to buy Small One, but of course the boy said no. Eventually, Joseph buys the donkey from him to carry Mary to Bethelehem. The boy is happy, knowing that his donkey will be loved.
My son and I read this story before bed, cuddled together on the couch. When we got to the part where it said the boy met a man who wanted to carry his wife Mary on it, I asked Joshua who the man was. He didn't know at first, and then, after a few more clues about the Christmas story, he said, "Joseph!" Joshua was very relieved the donkey was going to be cared for. He had all sorts of questions about tanners. First I had to explain to him what that meant, and then his main concern was if there are "good" tanners that use all of the animal, not just it's hide. I had to tell him I did not know for sure. You see, he is very into woolly mammoths, and knows that the people who used to hunt them used everything when they killed a mammoth.
It's important to always stop and answer any questions that your child might have as you read. As an adult, I sometimes feel like it is interrupting the story, but it is more of an interruption to your child if they don't understand something and spends the rest of the story wondering rather than listening to the story being read.
What I like best about this story is that it teaches children compassion.
